1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for enhancing the speed, efficiency and upgradeability of open architecture computers, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a modular computer peripheral including a peripheral housing defining a plurality of module bays adapted to receive corresponding computer modules.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Open architecture computers such as those commonly referred to as "personal computers" are well known in the art. There have been many attempts to improve the speed and storage performance of personal computers. The increased speed and storage performance permits personal computers to run more powerful software and store larger data files which enhances the benefit of the personal computer to an end user.
For example, computer manufacturers have incorporated faster processing CPUs such as the 286, 386, 486, and the Pentium to increase the performance of the personal computers. Improvements have also been made by the hard drive manufacturers such as Seagate, Micropolus, and Western Digital who have developed faster and smaller mechanical hard drives for personal computers. Specialized personal computer performance cards which are closed architecture systems have been developed which fit into one or more of the standardized modular spaces available in a personal computer and which improve or provide new capacity to the personal computer in such specialized areas as the video display, the CD rom, tape storage, and multimedia capability. In addition, there are hundreds of software inventions and improvements which have been developed in the last few years such as the Windows 95 operating system by Microsoft and the OS/2 operating system by IBM which improved the computer memory management in an attempt to speed up the performance of personal computer application programs.
To increase the expandability and upgradeability of personal computers, personal computer housings have been manufactured which offer multiple modular spaces to accept several large hard drive systems, tape units, CD rom drives, and several personal computer motherboards. One example of such a large personal computer housing is that offered with the NCR model 3450 personal computer unit.
Although the advancements described above have and continue to increase the performance of personal computers significantly, two inherent flaws have hindered the advances in increasing the performance of personal computers. Namely, the low bit process capability and the open architecture requirement.
The low bit processing speed has been overcome somewhat by increased central processing unit speeds (these have gone from two megahertz to 200 megahertz in about ten years). However, the major bottleneck is in the open architecture requirement of the personal computer system in that the whole hardware industry has to adhere to the previous standards for any improvements in the personal computer because all of the existing software must operate on the new machine. Thus, even the powerful Pentium 32 bit 200+ megahertz central processing unit cannot increase the speed of some computer systems because both the hardware and the software cannot take advantage of these new advances because of the open architecture requirement of the personal computer system.
Because manufacturers of closed architecture computers, such as IBM 400 series mainframe computers are not bound by the open architecture requirements of the personal computer, the closed architecture computer manufacturers can typically build more powerful computers than the standard personal computers while using substantially the same central processing unit technology. It would represent an advance in the state of the art of computer systems if one were to build an open architecture computer which maintained the compatibility of the existing software and hardware of the open Architecture PC computer but which utilized the speed of a closed architecture computer such as one or several specialized digital signal processors (DSP's) programmed to permit the existing software to be operated more quickly. It is to such an improved computer system that the present invention is directed.